Purple Cocoa is the Cocoa that has been minimally treated compared to other types of Cacao or Cocoa. It is Cacao that has either completely forgone the fermentation process, or drastically reduced the amount of time fermented.
However, it is incredibly difficult to create this cocoa because the fermentation process is what gives most cacao it's flavor profile, and kills off certain bacteria.
Cacao is a very special type of fruit. Most fruits can be picked, and left out for weeks without rotting or any other steps to be done. Cacao is a fruit that needs to eaten at the time of harvest, or it needs to be fermented to kill off certain bacteria that grows when nothing is done with the fruit at the time of harvest. These two options are the most popular in the world, with hundreds of cacao farms globally. If you roast the cacao before fermenting as well, you will kill the cacao completely.
The third option is to prevent the bacteria from growing in the first place. This is the difficult option because you have to start by removing the moisture at the time of harvest.
Purple Cocoa and It's Benefits
Most cacao is purple at the time of harvest, before fermentation and roasting.
So what can you assume when the end product is purple now?
You would be right to assume that the product has been kept in a completely raw state.
And what can you assume if this miracle superfood has been kept in it's raw state?
You would be right to assume the nutrient profile of the purple cocoa is much different to start. To go even further, you would be right to assume that the nutrient density of the purple cocoa is far superior to that of the brown or black cocoa powder that is on the market.
Why?
Tests have shown that purple cocoa has superior nutrient density in specific micronutrients called polyphenols. The specific polyphenol is called a flavanol, where the niche of High Flavanol Cocoa is beginning to explode.
Key Takeaways:
- Purple cocoa can contribute to a healthy blood pressure and blood flow
- Purple cocoa can reduce damage to the blood vessels by preventing stress
- Purple cocoa can help prevent conditions that lead to blood clots
Vital Purple: The Purple Cocoa that is Getting Popular
Single Origin Fine Aroma Arriba Nacional Cacao, Not Crossbred
Regeneratively Grown in The Mountains of Ecuador
Superior in Minerals, Polyphenols, Antioxidants, Theobromine, Anthocyanins, Magnesium
Micronutrients of Vital Purple
900 Mg of Flavanols Per Serving
240 Mg of Polyphenols Per Serving
9 Mg of Theobromine Per Serving
520 Mg of Antioxidants Per Serving
A Stand Alone Category
Vital Purple is the most nutrient dense cacao in the world. No other cacao offers this powerful combination of high flavanols, antioxidants, and anthocyanins.
Raw Cacao vs Purple Cocoa
The Raw Cacao craze was a bit more popular in the early 2000s as cacao was getting mainstream. We were bombarded with anecdotes about "healing" "sacred superfood" "ancestral" and "my source is the most sacred of all".
But now the industry has changed.
Sadly, the certifying bodies have invaded the natural food space to add their mark up to our food supply, while the farmers of these superfoods doing the hard work have stayed in humble living conditions. With all of these certifying bodies for our food, quality was supposed to go up. But the only things we can see has changed is a movement towards convenience in consumer packaging and end user products. There are still legitimate high heavy metal concerns.
The positive change we can see in the past 20 years is a movement to science backed claims and an increase in testing for micronutrients to understand these foods better.
So why was "Raw Cacao" so popular and sought after?
We can see in our testing that Cacao kept in it's raw state has high flavanols and specifically purple cacao has anthocyanins.
Key Takeaways:
- Purple Cocoa can help mediate age-related hypertension
- Purple cocoa can help those at greater risk of cardiovascular disease
- Purple cocoa can reduce blood pressure over the short term
Purple Cocoa
The Sad State of Regular Cacao
So where does that leave regular cacao that you buy from Nestle or eat in the super market?
It was likely monocrop grown, resulting in a lack of nutrient diversity and actual flavor. It was likely high temperature roasted because it is easier to kill bacteria that way. Lastly, it may have a high heavy metals.
Why?
Most people don't understand cacao. They carry it to complete their product line. They carry it because it's popular and it will sell and it tastes good. Unfortunately, they haven't gotten their hands dirty to really understand the ideal cultivation methods for cacao or how to preserve it's most important nutrients.
Purple cocoa is from companies that don't look at cacao just as a tasty snack. It's from companies that see cacao for it's true potential, and see how large companies like Hershey are trying to exploit it, the land that it grows on, and the farmers that grow it.
Purple cocoa is a powerhouse that most chocolate companies do not even come close to.
Key Takeaways:
Purple cocoa can help keep blood vessels properly dilated
Purple cocoa can allow for a healthy nitric oxide production in the blood
Purple cocoa contains high concentrations of chemicals that support this
Purple Cocoa Improves Endothelial Function
As discussed, the buildup of fats and cholesterol in the arteries is a key factor in multiple chronic health issues from blood clots to life-threatening cardiovascular disease, with the endothelium or the inner lining of blood vessels being an important site at which the body attmepts to prevent this. Endothelial function, or the ability of this inner lining to prevent the vascular system from becoming overly constricted or stressed, is another area where regular consumption of high flavanol cocoa can prove beneficial to one’s overall vascular health.
Improved endothelial function carries with it a whole host of other positive health effects as well, such as proper fluid and electrolyte balance and regulation of the blood-brain barrier. In addition to these, Schroeter et al. further note in their paper on the subject that improved flow-mediated dilation, or the ability of blood vessels to dilate in response to a need for increased blood flow, is yet another benefit of high flavanol cocoa related to the increased nitric oxide production they measured.
Key Takeaways:
Purple cocoa can help keep the blood vessels’ inner lining healthy
Purple cocoa can help regulate electrolytes and the blood-brain barrier
Purple cocoa can help the body respond to a need for increased blood flow
Phillip McCauley
Phillip McCauley is the owner of Natural Zing and Vital Purple at TheOrganicCacao.com.
